Our beloved Lab (on the furniture...again!)

photo by Eva Johnson

Growing up, I was never a big fan of these slobbery, furry animals. I was scared of being licked or bitten. However, now we have a great yellow lab who is the most needy dog on the planet. She will only be happy if she is about two centimeters away from your face, breathing bad doggy breath at you. What a great dog!

Even though she is friendly and adorable, Marley has nothing on this dog. As a puppy, we would keep repeating to ourselves that "She's lucky she is cute..." because she got into everything! Now, even if she does clean up the Cheerios that hit the floor, she leaves tumbleweeds of dog hair everywhere! 

Despite all of her faults, she has gotten us out to walk, and for that I am forever grateful. Did you know that one of the best reasons to get a dog is that they need to walk? It's instant activity for a sedentary lifestyle. Let your doggie keep you active. That's the best friend you can have — a friend that greets you at the door, loves you unconditionally and tells you to go outside and walk!

Yes, a dog is not easy to take care of (or cheap!), but if you have one, let them walk you around the neighborhood: a True BFF!

Eva Johnson is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer. She lives in chaos with her husband, two boys and a shedding Labrador Retriever. To see her complete blog about her journey to stay sane and in shape, visit www.fitnessbyeva.com.